Democratic California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, who has faced serious sexual harassment allegations and whose office approved a six-figure taxpayer-funded settlement, is nonetheless surging in early polling for the state’s 2026 lieutenant governor race.

Ma, who has served as treasurer since 2019, announced her bid for lieutenant governor in June 2023. A recent poll conducted by Tulchin Research shows her in second place overall with 18% support among likely statewide voters ahead of the June primary. Republican candidate Brian Dahle leads with 20%, while 34% of voters remain undecided.

Among Democratic voters, Ma holds first place with 28% support, though a striking 42% of Democrats are still undecided, a sign that the race remains fluid despite her early positioning.

Ma’s long tenure in public office has been overshadowed by allegations brought by former employee Judith Blackwell, who worked as executive director of the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee beginning in September 2019. Blackwell was terminated in January 2021 and replaced shortly thereafter.

Roughly six months after her firing, Blackwell filed a lawsuit in Sacramento County Superior Court alleging wrongful termination, racial discrimination, and sexual harassment. In 2023, a Sacramento County judge dismissed the wrongful termination and racial discrimination claims, according to the Los Angeles Times. However, the judge allowed the sexual harassment allegations to proceed.

According to court records cited by Courthouse News Service, Blackwell alleged that Ma made unwanted sexual advances, including an incident in 2020 during work travel in which Ma allegedly “exposed her bare rear end” while the two were sharing a room. In another alleged episode in May 2020, Blackwell claimed Ma rented an Airbnb instead of booking separate hotel rooms, began exposing herself, and allegedly climbed into Blackwell’s bed.

Blackwell further alleged that Ma purchased her gifts, including edible marijuana, and created an uncomfortable and inappropriate work environment. By September 2020, Blackwell said she suffered a stroke and took eight weeks off work. Upon returning, she claimed Ma assigned her tasks that required two people to complete despite her medical condition. She was terminated shortly thereafter.

Ma has consistently denied wrongdoing, describing the alleged incidents as “unremarkable events” that can occur when people share living space and arguing that no physical contact occurred. She has maintained that Blackwell was fired for poor performance and that the sexual allegations only surfaced after her termination.

Despite the unresolved cloud hanging over her office and the taxpayer-funded payout, Ma’s political standing within the Democratic electorate appears resilient for now. Whether voters statewide will look past the allegations as the campaign intensifies remains an open question.